The PROs and CONs of switching your allegiance - any advice?

[Deleted member 29185]

I tend to agree juddles, however I do genuinely hope we're wrong as competition is sorely needed to keep them all honest. No competition and QF will revert to fat and lazy.

 

[Scarlett]

...

But lastly, and obviously this is my own humble opinion, but I truly believe that Virgin is on a long-term downwards slide. I just don't think in the competitive environment that airlines work in, that Australia has the long term ability to support two major, first-rate airlines. I am LTG with QF, and although there is a chance that one day that will be meaningless, it is still something nice to work towards. I am far more confident that QF will still be here in 10 years than I would be with Virgin.

I predict that within 5 years Virgin will be effectively just a tad above a true Low Cost Carrier, with services and perks to match. QF may not be perfect, but I would bet with them rather than Virgin.

Isn't it interesting how times change: cast your mind back three or so years when some on this forum were seriously considering QF going down the gurgler (grounding the airline; $2B write downs; hiving off everything in sight to the orange cancer...) and JB was the golden knight leading the magnificent VA charge from the front as it took the mantle as the AUS flag carrier.
Now the roles have reversed again: QF appears to be doing all-right and VA keeps losing money and reverting closer to its Low Class Carrier roots.

As for the OPs question, I too believe QF and oneworld status is more highly valued than alternatives. I'm in the very sweet spot right now of having QF LTG; and VA WP; and *A Gold for the next two years. My known future travel suggests I will not maintain all of them so I'm contemplating where to try to maintain some status. VA impress me less with each flight and my *A flights recently have been underwhelming, so I still haven't decided on a way forward.

 

[Lemon_Party]

Why is that? For me the only airport to date without lounge access was CGK.

With VA plat I've only been let into Silverkris Lounges. Shanghai, Osaka and Tokyo are 3 I've had no lounge access at. Of course I could try to find employment with a company with a better travel policy but that's another story...

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Isn't it interesting how times change: cast your mind back three or so years when some on this forum were seriously considering QF going down the gurgler (grounding the airline; $2B write downs; hiving off everything in sight to the orange cancer...) and JB was the golden knight leading the magnificent VA charge from the front as it took the mantle as the AUS flag carrier.

I'm pretty firmly of the belief that JB saved QF by bringing the fight up to a complacent QF (and an arrogant AJ). I have little doubt that AJ was seriously considering destroying QF and for that, he will never be classed in my book as a quality operator. JB failed with VA of course, but I credit JB more than AJ with the current QF position. Isn't that odd.

 

[Wingin..it]

I would be inclined to make the NEEDS list and the percentage of which airline comes up better for that pursuit.
Lounge accesses etc may be better but are they a take it or leave it scenario that is not going to outweigh the overall benefits.

You seem to place importance on the partner airlines which I see as a significant concern,hence a large chunk of your % in staying.

 

[Quickstatus]

[Tongue in Cheek]

Pro: the grass is greener on the other side
Con: the grass is greener on the other side

[/TIC]

 

[Mogul]

I am in the same position but for different reasons.

After being a mix of VA Gold and Platinum since Platinum started I missed the required SC's to maintain Gold this year by 60 and have dropped to Silver. This year had more flying than any other year but there were a lot of reward flights taken, so I am now thinking where to from here. Most of my flying is domestically in Y between Sydney and Melbourne and points or points upgrade's to J Sydney to Perth. ALL OS trips are reward J trips.

For me the pro's and con's are as follows:

VA Pro's:
1. Easier to maintain status overall.
2. Family pooling to help with no.1. This accounts for maybe 60 SC's a year.
3. Easier access to reasonably priced reward tickets. I burn around 700,000 VA points a year on J reward flights.
4. In the VA loop so know what to expect, lounge access etc.
5. Premiun lounge entry, priority check in, boarding, etc.
6. Kids under 12 only don't count towards lounge guest numbers.

VA Con's:
1. No worthwhile status at the moment.
2. Long term viability in their current format.
3. NO lifetime status.

QF Pro's:
1. No worse than VA.
2. Better flight timings for some flights.
3. Lifetime status.
4. Kids under 18 don't count towards lounge guest numbers.

QF Con's:
1. Harder to earn and maintain status. Although they seem to have a lot more SC promotion's than VA.
2. Have to learn how to do things again so to speak.
3. Higher priced and seamingly harder to get reward seats.

As far as earning CC points I can earn just as many with VA as QF by just using another CC.

While status with VA has been great over the years (and yes I have paid more at times to maintain it) I am going to try QF for a while and see what the other side of the fence is like. If I don't like it VA will get my and my companies business again.

One of my biggest gripes with VA (and it's possibly the same with QF) is no SC's on reward flights even at a reduced rate. VA are still getting paid for the seat so why no SC's.

So for the time being in need to start reading the QF forum.

 

[NZflygirl]

I am in the same position but for different reasons.

After being a mix of VA Gold and Platinum since Platinum started I missed the required SC's to maintain Gold this year by 60 and have dropped to Silver. This year had more flying than any other year but there were a lot of reward flights taken, so I am now thinking where to from here. Most of my flying is domestically in Y between Sydney and Melbourne and points or points upgrade's to J Sydney to Perth. ALL OS trips are reward J trips.

One of my biggest gripes with VA (and it's possibly the same with QF) is no SC's on reward flights even at a reduced rate. VA are still getting paid for the seat so why no SC's.

So for the time being in need to start reading the QF forum.

Which airlines give you sc for paying with points? I'm not aware of any, unless maybe cash + points?
Could you try buying Y then upgrading to J or Y+ with points so you earn some sc but still fly up a cabin?
Would maybe just a bit of different planning see you maintain status and still fly comfortably? 60sc is so close to miss out.

 

[JohnK]

Any SQ partner lounge is excluded for VA status, aren't they? We certainly couldn't use the partner lounge in CMB and the lounge even in SIN (on a Y reward tix) was pretty pitiful, although I don't for one minute discount the fact we may have been in the wrong lounge!

I don't mind the KrisFlyer Gold lounge in SIN. Quiet at night, decent food and enough alcohol to keep me happy.

 

[Lemon_Party]

I don't mind the KrisFlyer Gold lounge in SIN. Quiet at night, decent food and enough alcohol to keep me happy.

Agree, only minor irritation is lack of showers and having to leave lounge for bathrooms.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I don't mind the KrisFlyer Gold lounge in SIN. Quiet at night, decent food and enough alcohol to keep me happy.

I'm not even sure it was a KF lounge. Up a mid set of escalators then to the left IIRC. I thought it was some shared lounge that we were directed to by SQ staff. It had some computers, very small selection of grog (might have been just one white and one red and that was it), can't recall the food so it can't have been too great and had the F/J section down one end separated from us riff-raff by just some potted plants from memory. Nothing at all to spruik about.

 

[JohnK]

.... and had the F/J section down one end separated from us riff-raff by just some potted plants from memory. Nothing at all to spruik about.

That's definitely not the KrisFlyer Gold lounge. Sounds like the Dnata lounge?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

That's definitely not the KrisFlyer Gold lounge. Sounds like the Dnata lounge?

Thanks for the confirmation. To me, that's just another example of SQs ambivalence about VA platinum status.

 

[justcallmeryan]

Thanks everyone, for your thoughts on my massive first word problem!

I think what I will do is check my travel patterns for next year and select a travel heavy period and go for a QF status challenge. As I've already re-qualified for VA Plat for next year that should give me a good sample of the best of both worlds. Then towards the end of 2017 I can re-assess which of the two works better for me in the long range. And at very least I will have QF and VA Gold for the next couple of years!

Have a great weekend.